Hillary Clinton
Related: About this forumSurprise: Bernie Sanders's Youth Revolution Loved Rallies More Than Actually Voting
Sanders energized the youth vote in a way that allowed him to dominate that voting bloc. The problem is, that voting bloc failed him when the time came to cast a ballot.CHEZ PAZIENZA
This won't be about Bernie Sanders, per se. Bernie Sanders seems to be positioning himself to do the right thing in the coming weeks. What this means is that it's time to strike a conciliatory tone in the name of forging a unified front of decent Americans aimed at ensuring that Donald Trump and the morally bankrupt party sanctioning his quest for the White House do not succeed.
No, this will be about what it's been about almost since the beginning of Sanders's improbable rise: his rabid disciples.
Specifically, his supposed army of youthful revolutionaries; the political neophytes who formed a cult of personality around Sanders knowing little about how politics actually work; the people who still threaten to "burn it all down" because they didn't get their way; the meme-warriors who've spent the past 48 hours lashing out at those who've endorsed Hillary Clinton, including their former progressive hero Elizabeth Warren; the kids who insist their lack of presence in the general election, the result of their candidate not winning, will doom any Democratic effort.
http://thedailybanter.com/2016/06/sanders-youth-vote-didnt-show/
BobbyDrake
(2,542 posts)Without the motivation of being seen and having even the smallest level of attention being paid to you, why bother?
WhiteTara
(30,159 posts)Bernie would have won.
workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)is Ron Paul's with more social media!
caquillo
(521 posts)I always assumed it was the party atmosphere, being among peers, screaming, wearing specially-made T-shirts, painted faces -- not unlike a rock concert or sporting event, which young people generally love. That's why I never took that movement seriously. It was a passing fad and Sanders is a flash in the pan. There will be no revolution, whatever they mean by that.
caquillo
(521 posts)I'm surprised the article didn't elaborate on Sanders' promise of free tuition and no student loan debt. I live in a college town and have engaged (but not recently) with some of Sanders' young supporters, and they honestly believed that if Sanders were elected, the second he took office, he would implement all those changes. By himself. I kid you not. These people have no clue how our government works.
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)I wish i'd saved the article link, but they ran a survey to find out what buzzwords and issues would work best on that age range, before the campaign got fully underway
Cha
(305,406 posts)Another problem burnie had was POC did turn out for Hillary.. The Pragmatic Voters.
Mahalo, workin~
TwilightZone
(28,833 posts)If they'd shown up at the primaries and caucuses and actually voted, he might have done better. Probably not three million votes better, but better nonetheless.
stopbush
(24,630 posts)you've gotta do it all over again. WTF?
And what do you get for it? A stupid "I voted" sticker to put on your shirt. You think you'd get at least a free download from iTunes.
Blue Idaho
(5,500 posts)I'd say many aren't old enough to vote. Add to that the sad fact that the 18 - 24 age group is notoriously absent at the ballot box. I wish it weren't true - but kids don't vote, even for a messianic figure like what's his name.
LannyDeVaney
(1,033 posts)As I stated months ago, if voting was via XBox and Snapchat, these folks would have voted.
Without checking, I imagine Bernie's FB page has way more "Likes" than Clinton's FB page. For the younger generation, Like = vote.
Fla Dem
(25,685 posts)This is the same demographic that couldn't be bothered in the 2010 mid term elections to vote and gave up the House and Senate to the Republicans. Democrats do tend to get the more idealistic, younger voter, the only problem is they have "better" thing to do on a Tuesday than stand in line to vote.
workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)And here will be proof that the Sanders "revolution" is real...
If they show up in the millions at the next off year elections and vote democratic.
I have my doubts seeing as how they are the worst age group for voting and didn't even do it for Bernie''s run.
charlyvi
(6,537 posts)They voted for Obama in '08 and '12; where were they in '10 and '14? Then blame him for what he didn't get done.
workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)When will people learn how damn important those off year elections are?
Maru Kitteh
(29,087 posts)therefore it must be "rigged" aka, not my fault, or more simply, just the way things go sometimes.
The lack of acceptance that sometimes you just lose. I've seen so much of it, followed by "that's it, I'm just done with it all, there's no point in voting because MY vote doesn't count." Read here; I voted for my candidate, and the other candidate won anyway . . . It's NOT FAIR. Me me me me me me.
This is the generation raised where everyone gets a first-place trophy. Everyone makes the team. Everyone gets a ribbon. They're just thoroughly unfamiliar with the concept of not always getting their way, and a reward simply for existing.
**Of course this does not apply to all SBS supporters who are for the most part, especially IRL, reasonable and aware that SBS and HRC are both infinitely preferable to that racist orange, short-fingered man-baby. I think we are all familiar with the particular contingent this refers to. I'm grateful, in truth, that so many of SBS are reasonable people. But of course the cameras, and political message boards are more likely to capture the outliers, and that is too often what we see here.
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)quickesst
(6,300 posts).... in front of the polling stations advertising a huge keg party. Admission: One Bernie vote
Arkansas Granny
(31,827 posts)there was no way he could lose. How many times did we see posters on DU say . . "but, but, but his rallies are HUGE".
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)to the polls.
His team didn't depend on them as Sanders and his campaign did.
But Obama did the organizing groundwork AND the big rallies.
The Youth Vote may be fickle and hard to herd to the voting booth, but Sanders' campaign was just pitifully unable to organize anyone in any meaningful way.
NastyRiffraff
(12,448 posts)DEDICATED to GOTV. That means canvassing, calling, making sure people knew their state's election laws and deadlines, providing transportation if needed, educating on the issues, and yes, rallies. Instead they did only rallies and no education. Stump speeches and no reminders. You need all this especially with young potential voters.
workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)doesn't really prepare a person to run a national campaign for POTUS.
Who knew?
TwilightZone
(28,833 posts)They knew all of this and still didn't do it. That tells me that they either grossly overestimated the power of the "message" or never intended to win initially, then got semi-serious about it when it looked like it was going to be a closer race than they expected.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)Example, Nevada.
stopbush
(24,630 posts)was happening during the primary season were promptly alert swarmed by Sanders supporters, our posts hidden for being...well, truthful.
workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)They didn't want to hear the truth about young voters then or now.
forjusticethunders
(1,151 posts)A Che Guevara shirt made in a 3rd world sweatshop.
workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)sarae
(3,284 posts)perfect!
NastyRiffraff
(12,448 posts)All too true!
Maru Kitteh
(29,087 posts)hollowdweller
(4,229 posts)Nixon was elected by a landslide over McGovern.
Then the generation that hated the gov't over Vietnam became the one that hated the gov't over taxes and welfare.
The Anti gov't rhetoric of the baby boomers during the 60's paved the way for Reagan, Rush, Bush et al.
They sold out the social contract that allowed them to give a good life in the 80's because they were too fucking selfish to pay taxes.
Now their kids are pissed and Bernie supporters.
Heck even Clinton herself after being an anti war person and working for McCarthy is more than happy to send kids into war.
Talk about Ironic!
caquillo
(521 posts)Agnosticsherbet
(11,619 posts)They did not turn out and vote for him in large numbers.
And it is near impossible to turn the youth out in a midterm when none of the candidates create high-energy spectacles.